Improvement in horse hay-rakes



Patented Nov fn/venikaz 7/24 J/wM give 5% 67% 65?. AMWi N.PE|ER8, PH um, WASHINGTON, u. C

'Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and the accompanying drawings, in whichmoved, to show the operating devices.

.NI'IED STATES WALESALDRIOH, oF- DAYTON, OHIO,

- I TO HENRY O. HEBGHELRODE, SAMEPLAGE. v V V FFIGE.

AssrenonoF- ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT IMPROVEMENT ||\i IQ-IORSEVHAYY-RA-KES- CASE 2.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALES ALDRICH, of

State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse Hay-Rakes; and I do hereby declare that the following .is a full, clear, and exact description of the same. a This invention relates to that class of rakes that are dumped to discharge the collected hay by the draft of the horse, at the will of the driver; and my improvements: consist in the novel combination and arrangement of the devices for actuating the rake-head, itspeculiar construction, with the manner ofsecurin g the teeth thereto, and in a holding-down lever for keeping the teeth to theirwork, as will be described, and the invention distinctly pointed out in the claims. e

I would thus describe the constructionland operationof my improved rake, referring to Figure l is a plan view of a horselhay-rake provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the, same, with a wheel re- Fig. 3 is a front view of a part of the rake-head. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the head exhibiting the manner of attaching the teeth thereto. Fig.5 is a side and front view of a modification of my improved tooth-holder.

Like letters of reference indicate correspond in g parts in all the figures.

A A represent the thills of the rake rigidly secured to a cross-b am, B, in the rear, and directly under the age to which it is hinged in any suitable .man er. The axle O, which. is the rake-head, is composed of two beams, to and b, Fig. 4, which, when connected, have in section an L shape, the beam b being placed against the forward face of the beam a, with their bottom edges corresponding and connected by wood screws or bolts. The stubaxles c, on which the wheels revolve, are bolted or otherwise secured to the under side of the rake-head, thereby keeping it above the axis of revolution, so that when it is dumped it passes through the arc of a circle. The

front face of the axle, as seen in Fig. 3, is pro- November 2, 1875 applicationfiled videdwith a'series of equidistant circular openings extending with uniform bore -halfway through the head. These openingsqare tangential with the top face of the beam 11,

which has a series of slots, of a little greater width'than a rake-tooth, out from the edge two-thirds of the distance through the beam and at right angles to its longitudinal line. Theslots are equal in number, with thecircular openings, and correspond with their tan-. gential points. D, Fig. 4,, shows in perspec tive one of my improved tooth-holders composed of a metal plate secured to thetop. surfaceof the beam-a, and having two bearings,

d, of the shape shown, and at thesarne dis-.-,

tance from each otheras theci'rcular openings and slots before mentioned. 'Each of these bearings supports a tooth, which is bentin themanner. represented in Fig..5. To secure the teeth to the head, supposing .the holders to'be allin position, it isonly necessary toplace them, one by one, in the slots in the bearings d, and then slipa rod, f, through thepivotal openings'in the bearings, and through the-eye formed bybending the teeth inthe manner shown. It will be noticed that, in placing the teeth in position to be secured, the rearward and downward projecting ends, which may be flattened, enter the slots in the beain h, and fit snugly in them. The bearings d and the slots in the beam b are sufficient to prevent the teeth from having more lateral playjtban is desired; though, to entirely obviate it, the rear edge of the plate may be turned up, as seen at 1), Fig. 5, at each end, and have-recesses in which the teeth may be placed, as seen at y.

A series of spiral springs g, Fig. 4., may be placed in the circular recesses in the beam at,

which they fill, and press against the inner sides of the rake-teeth, where they enter the slots. These springs, made sufficiently strong, give the teeth all the elasticity required to enable them to work efficiently and pass over rigid obstructions. When what is known as a drop-tooth is required the springs may be removed. i

The mechanism for operating the rake c011- its of a torsion-rod, E, confined upon the rwardedge ofhtheibeam b in bearings 43, at ch end, and 4/ a the middle. The ends of is rod are provided with pawls or dogs F,

rich engage with the ratchet-wheels G, at

3119(1130 thetsupporting-wheels, and revolv- ;-with them upon the same axis. An up: {ht arm, H, is attached rigidly to the rod E, at center, and is provided with a vertical slot, which rests the end of a gravitating pawl latch, 70, pivoted upon the forward top edge the beam a. A chain, j, connects the top the arm H with the treadle m, pivoted in e platform inconvenient reach of thedrirs foot. A small spring, o, is employed,as own, to keep the arm H thrown backward .d the pawls F out of gear.

By pressiii g upon the treadle'm the arm H drawn forward and held by the shoulder of egravitating latch k. This'throwsthe dogs tothe' ratchet-wheels, and, as the rake moves i'ward,the head is turned, elevating the teeth ,d discharging the collected hay. When the has it been. revolt-ed about half-way, the dof thelatch k strikes upon an adjustable rew,; w,oreqni va1ent device, upon the beam.

,ithereby throwing" it up and releasin g the m H, which is acted upon by the spring o,

I ratchets, and allowing the teeth to fall Lck to raising position by the action of the? ring r',coiled upon the rod t, which is atched to-the beam B. Should the spring 0 ove insufficient in disengaging the dogs,

eywould strikethe projecting plates P, at-

chedjto the ends of the beam B, and be rown from theteeth of the ratchets. It willbe noticed that, by the employment the rod E, extending the width of the-rake,

Ldhaving the dogs F, the teeth may be ele- ,ted while the rake is in the act of turning,

ere being suflicient torsion in the rod, aleugn ela rigidly in the middle to allow the neeltoY turn backward and throw the pawl im the ratchet.

Myimproved holding-down device consists rl thepurpose of throwing the dogs F out of of a lever or treadle, R, pivoted to the side of the beam M, and carrying in the slotinits upwardly-curved rear endpa swinging adjustable arm, S, weighted at the bottom to keep it always in a vertical position. The top of this arm is provided with a projecting should-v der, which rests against the under forward edge of the beamb.

The driver, by pressing his foot uponthe forward end of the lever B, can keep the teeth down totheir work. When the rake-head is turning, in the act of dumping, the driver removes his foot, and the swinging arm 8 is pushed forward, and allows the-head to pass it. Having fully described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patient 1. The improved tooth-holder D, composed of a plate and bearings, d d, in combination with the end of a rake-tooth, bent in the shape shown, and pivoted by means of the rod f, substantially as described.

v 2. The beam a, provided n -f w d; face with circular openings, in which the s springs are placed, as described, in'combina tion with the slotted beam b, the tooth-holder D, and the ends of the rake-teeth, when the respective parts are arranged as and for the purpose specified,

3. The torsion-rod E, provided with the dogs I F, for engaging with the ratchets G, and hav- Q in g the slotted arm H, connected tothe treadle m by the chain j, in combination with the l gravitating latch K, when arranged tooperate in the manner and forthe purpose speci- 4. The holding-down lever R arranged as; described, and provided with the gravitating arm' S, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Witness my hand this 8th day of July,lA.D.

. WALES ALDRICH.

Witnesses:

J. P. WHITMORE, GHAS. IVLPEOK. 

